One in three Australian workers who sustain a physical injury experience serious secondary mental illnesses, but few of these people access mental health services that could accelerate their recovery and return to work, according to a study.
Safe Work Australia members have agreed to start transitioning to a new chemical safety system within six months, while SWA has released a practical guide to managing ultraviolet radiation risks and a 60-page workers' comp report, and a WHS regulator has outlined safety duties relating to poor air quality.
Exposure to certain occupational fumes can double the risk of workers contracting invasive pneumonia-causing infections, and affected workers should be offered vaccines, researchers say.
A leading workplace heat stress consultant has warned of the effects of "heat hangover", which causes workers in warm workplaces to experience the same symptoms they would after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol, and could account for the spike in incidents during hotter months.
An electrocardiographic study of firefighters during a live firefighting drill suggests there is a need for closer monitoring of workers who perform activities with high levels of cardiac strain.
> PCBU ordered to train WHS officer and fined $76k; > High-risk work strategy and other safety initiatives launched in NSW; > New dust disease victims identified under WHS screening scheme; and > NSW WHS review announced, explosives list gazetted.
Costly workplace exercise programs might improve workers' physical capacity, but employers can gain similar benefits from providing them with personalised fitness management, which does not require space or equipment, researchers say.
Workers whose tasks require sustained emotional effort, like responding to customers' worries and aggression, are significantly more likely to require long-term sick leave, a major study of more than 26,000 workers has found.
